Pentostatin (Nipent) in T-cell malignancies. Leukemia Cooperative Group and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer

Within this phase II trial of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, we have investigated the safety and efficacy of pentostatin (Nipent; SuperGen, San Ramon, CA) in refractory lymphoid malignancies. Pentostatin was administered at a dosage of 4 mg/m2 every week for the first 3 weeks, then every 14 days, followed by maintenance therapy of 4 mg/m2 monthly for a maximum of 6 months. We have previously reported the results in T- and B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and hairy cell leukemia This report focuses on the outcome in T-cell malignancies: T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Sézary syndrome, mycosis fungoides, and T-zone lymphoma. Of 92 patients with these diagnoses enrolled, 76 were evaluable for response and toxicity, ie, 25 of 28 with T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 21 of 26 with Sézary syndrome, 22 of 26 with mycosis fungoides, and eight of 12 with T-zone lymphoma. All patients had progressive and advanced disease. Sixteen patients (21%) died during the first 9 weeks of treatment: 12 of progressive disease, two of infectious complications thought to be unrelated to treatment, one of myocardial infarction, and one of renal failure related to administration of intravenous contrast. Major toxicity (grades 3 and 4) included infection in 10.5% of patients, nausea/vomiting in 5%, and hepatotoxicity in 3%. One patient (1.3%) achieved a complete remission and 15 (19.7%) a partial remission. Better results were achieved in patients with Sézary syndrome or mycosis fungoides (complete remission + partial remission = 33.4% and 22.7%, respectively) than in patients with T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (8%) or T-zone lymphoma (25%). We conclude that pentostatin is active in low-grade T-cell malignancies. Toxicities are mild to moderate at the dose schedule administered. Severe hematologic toxicity has not been observed. The efficacy at the present dose level is moderate. A higher dose might be necessary for some T-cell malignancies.

Pentostatin in T-cell malignancies--a phase II trial of the EORTC. Leukemia Cooperative Group

PURPOSE

Within this phase II EORTC trial, we have investigated the safety and efficacy of pentostatin in lymphoid malignancies. We have previously reported the results in T- and B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and hairy cell leukemia. This report focuses on the outcome in T-cell malignancies: T-CLL, Sézary syndrome (Sézary), mycosis fungoides (MF) and T-zone lymphoma (TZL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of the 92 patients with these diagnoses enrolled, 76 were evaluable for response and toxicity, i.e., 25 of 28 with T-CLL, 21 of 26 with Sézary, 22 of 26 with MF, and 8 of 12 with TZL. All patients had progressive and advanced disease. Pentostatin was administered at a dosage of 4 mg/m2 every week for the first 3 weeks, then 4 mg/m2 every 14 days for another 6 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy of 4 mg/m2 monthly for a maximum of 6 months.

RESULTS

Response rates (complete and partial responses) in patients with Sézary (n = 22) or MF (n = 21) were 33% and 23%, respectively, and in patients with T-CLL (n = 21) or TZL (n = 8) 8% and 25%, respectively. Sixteen (21%) patients died during the first ten weeks of treatment: twelve of progressive disease, two of infectious complications with progressive disease, one of myocard infarction and one of renal failure related to administration of i.v. contrast. Major toxicity (grade 3-4) included infection in 11% of patients, nausea/vomiting in 4%, diarrhea in 3%. Hematologic toxicity was mild to non-existent.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that pentostatin is active in Sézary and MF but showed marginal activity in T-CLL or TZL. Toxicities are mild to moderate at the dose schedule administered. Due to its relatively specific lympholytic effect and its favorable toxicity spectrum, pentostatin might be especially useful for the palliative treatment of T-cell malignancies.

Orthotopic liver transplantation in a patient with severe haemophilia A and with advanced liver cirrhosis

A patient with severe haemophilia A underwent orthotopic liver transplantation because of changes correlated to end-stage liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, C and D infection. Replacement therapy was carried out for 4 days and the clinical course was uneventful. At the time of reporting the patient has a normal working life. FVIII plasma concentration is normal. The indirect hyperbilirubinaemia may be related to the Gilbert's anomaly of the donor.

Multicenter randomized phase II trial of idarubicin vs mitoxantrone, combined with VP-16 and cytarabine for induction/consolidation therapy, followed by a feasibility study of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia

To compare the antileukemic efficacy of idarubicin and mitoxantrone in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to evaluate the feasibility of autologous transplantation using PBSC after consolidation in those with a good performance status, 160 patients (median age 69 years), with AML at diagnosis, 118 of them with de novo AML and 42 with AML secondary to myelodysplastic syndrome or toxic exposure (sAML), received induction treatment with idarubicin, 8 mg/m2/day or mitoxantrone, 7 mg/m2/day, on days 1, 3, and 5, both combined with VP-16, 100 mg/m2/day on days 1 to 3 and cytarabine (araC), 100 mg/m2/day, on days 1 to 7. G-CSF, 5 microg/kg/day, was administered after chemotherapy in patients aged more than 70 years. Patients in complete remission (CR) received one course of consolidation using the same schedule as for induction except the araC administration was shortened to 5 days. Some patients younger than 70 years were then scheduled for autologous stem cell harvest on days 5 to 7 of G-CSF, 5 microg/kg/day, initiated after hematopoietic recovery from consolidation. Autologous transplantation was performed following an additional chemotherapy conditioning. Ninety-five patients (59%) achieved CR, without significant difference between the idarubicin (56% CR) and mitoxantrone (63% CR) group. There was also no significant difference in CR rate between de novo AML (63%) and secondary AML (55%) (P = 0.12). Patients aged < 70 years had 67% CR, while patients aged > or = 70 years had 49% (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in the duration of aplasia between the two arms. Median time to neutrophil recovery was 22 days in patients who received G-CSF following induction and 27 days in patients who did not (P = 0.006). Severe extrahematologic toxicities of induction did not differ between the two arms and included sepsis (39%), diarrhea (13%), hyperbilirubinemia (8%), hemorrhage (6%) and vomiting (6%). Overall, 14 patients (9%), died from toxicity of induction. First consolidation was administered in 74 patients of whom seven (9%) died from toxicity. Nineteen patients have received transplantation. Median time to recovery of neutrophils > 0.5 x 10(9)/l was 13 days and of platelets > 50 x 10(9)/l 43 days following consolidation. There were two toxic deaths. Median disease-free survival and survival from time of achieving CR of non transplanted patients are 6 and 7 months respectively without difference between the two arms. Fourteen transplanted patients relapsed at a median of 5 months post-transplant. We conclude that this regimen is well tolerated and has a good efficacy to induce CR, without a significant difference in efficacy and toxicity between idarubicin and mitoxantrone. Intensive postinduction, including transplantation, is feasible; however, this procedure did not seem to prevent early relapse in the majority of patients. Neither the high rate of CR nor consolidation nor transplant procedure in a selected group of patients did translate into improved DFS and/or survival.

Pulmonary hypertension secondary to thrombosis of the pulmonary vessels in a patient with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome

Recurrent pulmonary emboli or microthromboses are hypothesized as possible causes of pulmonary hypertension in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), but thrombosis of the pulmonary vessels has been rarely documented. We describe the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian man affected by thrombocytopenia, recurrent deep venous thrombosis, recurrent pulmonary embolism and fatal chronic pulmonary hypertension (systolic pressure: 85 mm Hg). Anticardiolipin antibodies were highly positive, and the lupus anticoagulant was present. At autopsy, recent thromboses of small vessels were observed in the lung, with organized clots and recanalized channels. Furthermore, friable and firm vegetations and nodules were observed on the cusps of the mitral and tricuspid valves, intermingled with recent surface fibrinous thrombi. In the adrenals we found vascular thrombotic lesions similar to those in the lungs. The pathological lesions suggest pulmonary hypertension secondary to pulmonary arterial microthromboses. Moreover, this is the first documentation of tricuspid valve pathology in a patient with APS.

Untunnelled central venous catheters in the treatment of acute leukemia

Ninety-eight untunnelled central venous catheters were positioned in the subclavian or internal jugular vein in 42 patients with acute leukemia. The procedure was feasible at bedside and carried a risk of catheter-related infection of 21%, similar to that of tunnelled catheters. The persistence of exit-point infection is the main route of infection and requires catheter removal.

The multimeric pattern of von Willebrand's factor (vWF) can be demonstrated also in the severe form of the disease

The multimeric analysis was carried out on the plasma of 18 patients with severe von Willebrand's disease (vWD) using two different types of agarose: Seakem HGT(P) and Seaplaque LGT. No pattern was found in any of the patients using Seakem HGT(P). On the contrary, by Seaplaque LGT, a multimeric pattern was found in four patients belonging to three different families, indicating that it is possible to identify and characterize variable multimeric patterns also in type III vWD.

HIV-related severe thrombocytopenia in intravenous drug users: prevalence, response to therapy in a medium-term follow-up, and pathogenetic evaluation

Severe thrombocytopenia (TP) accounted for 5.3% of cases in a consecutive series of 380 HIV-infected intravenous drug users (IVDUs) at presentation. Forty-one of 53 subjects with severe TP showed haemorrhages and were treated as follows: ten were splenectomized, 17 were given high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (HDIg), and 10 received anti-Rh(D) immunoglobulins (anti-Rh Ig). Splenectomy induced a complete clinical response in all cases: four out of 10 patients maintained platelet counts greater than 100 x 10(9)/l. HDlg gave a good clinical response in all patients, but eight out of 17 suffered haemorrhages during the follow-up and recall treatments were necessary. Six out of 10 patients treated with anti-Rh lg maintained platelet counts greater than 30 x 10(9)/l, but in two cases the treatment was interrupted because of severe haemolysis. No patient progressed to overt AIDS during the follow-up. Splenectomized patients in particular did not show adjunctive risks of worsening of the HIV-related clinical picture. A platelet kinetic study performed in 20 patients with severe HIV-related TP suggests a possible role for platelet sequestration in TP of HIV-infected IVDUs, in which a liver involvement is very frequent.

Pulmonary and myocardial infarction secondary to arterial occlusion by Aspergillus fumigatus in ANLL

Secondary invasive Aspergillosis is a well-recognized complication of the immunocompromised patient. This case concerned a 52-y.o. male patient affected by ANLL (FAB: M2). On day 10 after induction therapy the patient, previously apyretic and asymptomatic, had an episode of acute dyspnea with fever (39 degrees C). Chest X-ray and pulmonary scintigram were compatible with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, and the patient was started on heparin. On day 24 the patient had persistent anginal pain with an ECG compatible with myocardial infarction. The patient was transferred to the coronary unit and died on day 35 after a downhill course. Autopsy findings. Gross examination: multiple infarction involving the whole left lung, the septal and anterior myocardial walls, the left kidney and the spleen.

HISTOLOGY

arterial occlusion due only to intravascular hypha growth (Aspergillus fumigatus). This case emphasizes how much astrary the clinical picture can be and how far the fungal dissemination can extend.

A randomized comparison of maintenance treatment with androgens, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy in adult acute myelogenous leukemia. A Leukemia-Lymphoma Group Trial of the EORTC

Twenty-three European centers participated in a randomized clinical trial (AML-5) to study the effect of androgens and immunotherapy during maintenance in adult acute myelogenous leukemia. Induction treatment consisted of Adriamycin (doxorubicin) 50 mg/m2 day 1, vincristine VCR 1 mg/m2 day 2, and cytosine arabinoside 80 mg/m2 every 12 hours by push injection days 3-9. Patients in complete remission were randomized into four groups: (1) 6-mercaptopurine 70 mg/m2 days 1-14, methotrexate 15 mg/m2 twice weekly days 15-28, and reinduction with daunorubicin 35 mg/m2 and vincristine 1 mg/m2 day 29; (2) chemotherapy as in group 1 plus stanozolol 0.15 mg/kg/day; (3) 6-thioguanine 70 mg/m2 orally on 4 consecutive days and cytosine arabinoside 80 mg/m2 subcutaneously day 5 every week; and (4) chemotherapy as in Group 3 plus irradiated blast cells treated with neuraminidase. Three hundred forty-eight patients were eligible and 295 were evaluable. The median age was 45 yrs. A complete remission was achieved in 64% of the patients, with 158 complete remissions randomized. Patients not randomized and patients receiving bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were analyzed separately. There was no difference in disease-free survival (DFS) or survival in the four maintenance arms. For patients reaching complete remission, the median DFS was 40 weeks, and median survival was 22 months with 30% surviving at 4 years. The overall survival was 18% at 4 years. There was no beneficial effect for DFS or survival by adding either immunotherapy or androgens to chemotherapy during maintenance. However, patients receiving immunotherapy seemed to have a higher rate of responses to reinduction after relapse than those in the other treatment arms.